Sensitivity grows out of stillness.

This sentence from The Spiritual Legacy of Shaolin Temple surprised me. Isn’t sensitivity…bad? Aren’t sensitive people overly reactionary and not centered? Who ever uses the word “sensitive” to describe Bruce Lee?

But this little sentence speaks profound truth. Here it is in context:

Sensitivity grows out of stillness. If the mind is distracted, fearful, and jumpy, it will be slow to sense external movement. If the body is tense or committed in a certain direction or attitude…it cannot respond spontaneously because it is already programmed. In tai chi, ‘sensitivity’ includes reading the very intention to attack through extremely subtle physical and energetic movements within the opponent. This sensitivity can work even blindfolded at a distance.

Even blindfolded? At a distance?! That sounds like a superpower. Which makes sense when we realize the synonyms for sensitive are words like conscious, perceptive, keen. He isn’t using sensitive to describe a friend who easily flies off the handle or goes into terror mode. He’s describing someone who notices even the smallest movements, even the subtlest shift of energy. In other words, someone with superpower levels of perception.

This is a powerful skill in martial arts. When you can read the intention of your opponent, you’re set. And this form of sensitivity grows when we practice being still. When we train our minds to notice the energy in our own heads, our own bodies, and our environment.

So the opposite of sensitivity, then, is numbness. When we find ourselves distracted, fearful, or jumpy, we can take it as an indication that we have somehow numbed ourselves. We’ve dulled our senses in a way that prevents us from being conscious, perceptive, and present. Then, our reactions and responses stop being spontaneous, and instead resort to whatever programmed fear response we’ve used the most.

I don’t know about you, but my programmed fear responses are not my best responses.

So, here are some thoughts to ponder this week: What senses have you dulled? Where has avoidance or fear in your life turned into numbness?

And here’s your ninja wisdom to remember: Sensitivity grows out of stillness. Practice stillness, and your superpowers of perception grow. Embody stillness, and your responses and reactions will be wise, and not fearful.